The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) welcomes the government’s proposal to set up a department specially to manage foreign workers in the country.

The proposal was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Rome on Nov 18. The setting of a special foreign workers department has been long awaited by the industry.

FMM hopes that the special department would be set up under the Human Resources Ministry since that ministry is responsible for employment legislation and human resources development issues in the country.

The Human Resources Ministry would have a more comprehensive and macro overview since the employment of foreign workers also has impact on national manpower development, including the employment and development of Malaysian workers, wage policies and skills development in the same sectors.

The Human Resources Ministry, which have Labour Departments nationwide, would also be in a better position to carry out inspections on employers to ensure compliance with employment legislations.

The special department should handle all matters pertaining to foreign workers, including immigration matters by seconding a senior officer from that department and the Home Affairs Ministry.

FMM together with other stakeholders will be happy to work closely with the new department to ensure that the objectives are met without any adverse impact on the business environment.

The writer is president, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.